AP Comparative Government and Politics cheat sheet

A state requires a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and sovereignty; a regime is the set of rules and norms governing who holds power and how.

Regime types are distinguished by three dimensions: degree of pluralism, degree of state autonomy from society, and the balance of coercion versus consent in rule enforcement.

Authoritarian regimes typically restrict civil liberties, lack competitive elections with real turnover risk, and concentrate power in an executive not accountable to a legislature.

Democratic regimes require competitive elections, rule of law, protection of civil liberties, and civilian control of the military; procedural democracy alone does not guarantee liberal democracy.

Regime change differs from government change: a new cabinet under the same constitutional order is a government change, while a new constitutional order is a regime change.

Failed states lose effective monopoly on the legitimate use of force; indicators include loss of territorial control, inability to collect taxes, and dependence on foreign aid.

Illiberal democracy holds elections but limits civil liberties, media independence, or judicial review; hybrid regimes combine authoritarian and democratic features.

Supranational organizations (e.g., the EU) transfer some sovereignty upward, so state sovereignty is not absolute in practice.

A parliamentary system fuses executive and legislative power: the prime minister is selected by and accountable to the legislature, and can be removed by a no-confidence vote.

A presidential system separates executive and legislative power with fixed terms; divided government occurs when the executive and legislative majority come from different parties.

A semi-presidential system has both a directly elected president and a prime minister responsible to the legislature; executive power is shared and can produce cohabitation.

Unicameral versus bicameral legislatures: bicameralism adds a second chamber that may represent regions (federal systems) or serve as a revising body.

Judicial review is the power of courts to invalidate laws conflicting with a constitution; it may be strong (concrete and abstract review) or weak (limited to concrete cases).

Federal systems divide sovereignty between national and regional governments with constitutional protection; unitary systems delegate power but can revoke it.

Electoral systems structure institutions: single-member districts with plurality rules favor two-party systems, while proportional representation tends to produce multiparty coalitions.

Executive term limits and election rules shape institutional stability: fixed terms reduce turnover risk but can produce lame-duck periods.

Political culture is the set of attitudes, beliefs, and values about politics; it is distinct from public opinion, which is specific and changeable.

Almond and Verba's typology: parochial (little awareness of government), subject (aware but passive), and participant (aware and active) cultures.

Political socialization agents include family, schools, media, religious institutions, and peer groups; family and schools are typically the earliest and strongest.

Forms of conventional participation: voting, campaigning, contacting officials, joining parties or interest groups; unconventional participation includes protests, boycotts, and strikes.

Voter turnout is shaped by electoral rules (compulsory voting raises it), registration requirements, and the perceived competitiveness of elections.

Civil society organizations mediate between citizens and the state; a dense associational life is associated with stronger democratic accountability.

Social movements use collective action outside formal institutions; their success often depends on framing, resources, and political opportunity structures.

Political efficacy (internal and external) measures whether citizens believe they can understand and influence politics; low efficacy correlates with low participation.

Duverger's law: single-member plurality electoral systems tend to produce two-party systems; proportional representation tends to produce multiparty systems.

Proportional representation allocates seats by share of the vote, often with a threshold; it increases minority representation but can fragment parliaments.

Mixed-member systems combine district and list seats, allowing voters to split their ticket between a candidate and a party.

Party systems are classified by number of effective parties: dominant-party, two-party, and multiparty; effective number is measured by the Laakso-Taagepera index.

Catch-all parties seek broad appeal and moderate positions; cadre or elite parties rely on narrow networks; mass parties rely on large memberships.

Interest groups differ from parties: they seek to influence policy rather than contest elections, and may use lobbying, litigation, or collective action.

Pluralist interest group systems feature many competing groups; corporatist systems institutionalize bargaining among a few peak associations and the state.

Electoral rules affect representation: single-member districts create a personal vote and constituency service, while closed lists emphasize party loyalty.

Modernization theory links economic development (income, education, urbanization) with the emergence of democratic institutions; it is correlational, not deterministic.

Dependency and world-systems theories argue that peripheral economies are structurally disadvantaged by core economies through trade and capital flows.

Import substitution industrialization (ISI) protects domestic industry through tariffs and quotas; export-oriented industrialization targets foreign markets and is associated with East Asian growth.

Neoliberal reforms (privatization, deregulation, trade liberalization) are often conditions attached to IMF or World Bank lending.

The Human Development Index combines life expectancy, education, and income; it measures development more broadly than GDP per capita.

Political development indicators include rule of law, corruption control, government effectiveness, and accountability; these are distinct from economic growth.

Resource curse: economies dependent on natural resource exports often show slower growth, weaker institutions, and higher corruption.

Globalization increases trade, capital flows, and migration; it constrains state economic policy but also creates new transnational actors.